MADreads

What kind of girl wants to play football?

July 26th, 2007 Mary K. - Central

Many adults enjoy reading books that are marketed for young adults, and also might be looking for books that the whole family might enjoy listening to on a car trip or reading together.   Dairy Queen by Catherine Murdock would be a perfect choice, especially for older children.   I listened to the audiobook, downloaded from the Overdrive collection,  but also available through the Linkcat.   The reader, Natalie Moore, reads the first person narrative flawlessly.

This is D.J. Schwenk’s story; she is almost 16, and living on a farm in Red Bend, Wisconsin.  Because her father had hip surgery, almost all the farm chores have fallen to her and her younger brother.   D.J.  has given up a lot for the sake of the farm; her grades have suffered and she had to give up basketball.

When Brian Nelson arrives on the farm, sent by a family friend to help out with the work, things change.   Brian is a popular guy and a star football player on rival team.  He is surprised at how hard the farm work is.

D.J.  helped her older brother with football training (they are a football playing family, her Dad even names the cows after football players).  Which is why D.J. decides that she wants to play football on her high school team.  That choice will change her relationship with Brian.  

DJ is an endearing adventuresome character and readers want her to suceed in whatever she does.  I think the word “plucky” is often overused describing a heroine, but we could consider it appropriate here.

Teens will enjoy this book.   The South Central Library System librarians who sponsor the Teen Reads program thought so too and chose to feature Dairy Queen.¼/p>

Entry Filed under: Recreational Fiction, Young Adult